Apparatus for obtaining marbling effect on paper



Jan. 7, 1930. F c, HEYWOQD ET AL 1,742,250

APPARATUS FOR osmmim MAR-BLING EFFECT on PAPER 7 Original F'iled Dec.29,1924 2 sneet-Snem l INVENTORS. 5 m 6" W,

2/ J M M 21% K e "6 5 ATTORI "EYS.

Jan. 7, 1930. F.'C. HEYWOOD ET 'AL APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MARBLINGEFFECT ON PAPER Original Filed D80. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTORS.imai C'. BY zfZ/w A Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEFBANOIS O. HEYWOOD AND GEORGE E. SENSENEY, OF HOL YOKE, AND RUSSELL S.

BRACEWELL, OF SOUTH HADLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOBS TO THE MARVEL- LUMCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MARBLINGEFFECT ON PAPER Application filed December 29, 1924, Serial No. 758,632.Renewed December 28, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for ornamenting ordecorating the surface of material such as a sheet or web of paper orthe like.

The apparatus comprising my invention will be found capable of broadapplication wherever it is desired to ornament or decorate variousmaterials, whether in sheet, web or other fornnand will be disclosedwith particular reference to its adaptability to the art of decoratingor ornamen'ting paper, such a disclosure of the invention being deemedadequate to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention inconnection with any other material.

The art of ornamenting or decorating paper includes numerous and variousprocesses which may be for convenience arranged in three classes,namely,decorating finished paper by coating, printing or embossing;secondly, coloring and treating paper stock dur ing manufacture; andthirdly, by rolling a sheet of paper upon the surface of a liquid, suchas water, which carries coloring pigments in the form of an irregulardesign upon its surface. These methods, above enumerated, however, offermany disadvantages for the following reasons. Thefirst produces designsthat are regular in appearance and that are exactly repeated; the secondhas definite limitations as to the character of ornamentation which maybe applied; and the third, heretofore chiefly used in producing what isknown as a marbling effect, has limitations both as to quantityproduction and more particularly with respect to the reproduction atdifferent times of a design having the same general appearance.

The presentinvcntion deals with improvements in the apparatus forornamcnting a material such as paper according to the third processenumerated above, and accordingly it is an object of my invention toprovide an apparatus whereby a continuous web of paper may be ornamentedor decorated by a design or pattern that is uniform in its generalaspect although in specific detail is never exactly the same.

Considered broadly, this is accomplished by a very definite control ofthe devices and apparatus for formulating the design on the floatcarrieror body of water,that is, by dlstributmg known quantities ofpredetermined colors 111 definite areas upon said water surface, and bycontrolling the elapsed time for said colors to spread in irregularoutline before application to the paper, all of Which takes place in themanner of a continuous cycle to give the effect of a similar but everchanging design. A distinct advantage of the method thus employedconsists in the possibility of adopting definite formulas for differentdesigns which, when adhered to, will reproduce any particular design atvarious times. Of course. it is to he understood that the exact detailof any particular design will not be reproduced but the general appearance with respect to color values, tone, approximate similitude ofoutline, etc., can be duplicated with enough exactness to produce thesame general impression on the observer. The value of thus being able toreproduce from time to time designs of this character having the samegeneral appearance, will be. appreciated when it is considered that themarket for decorative papers includes many purchasers who, havingadopted some particular design as a dress for merchandise, naturallydesire to maintain the same as a distinctive characteristic of theirproduct for a considerable period and can only do so when it is possibleto re-order the same design as previously used.

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatus capableof applying the design to a continuous web of paper led from a roll, asdistinguished from handling the paper in separate sheets whereby avolume and economy of production may be attained on a commercial scalewhich would be quite impossible under the hand methods heretoforepracticed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings. in which one form of an apparatuscapable of practicing the inven tion is illustrated.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevational view ofan apparatus embodying certain features of my inventlon;

Fig. 7 is an efevational sectional View on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1; and

Fi 8 is a detail view of the adjustable spee' drive for the contactdrum.

Generally, the apparatus may comprise a movable trough or tank 1 forcontaining a liquid or float carrier such as water, one or moremechanisms 2 for distributing color materials on the surface of thewater to form a design, a contact drum 3 for effecting a rolling contactbetween a continuous web of paper P and the surface of the water to takeup therefrom the color material constituting the design and a take u anddrying mechanism 4 for winding up an drying the decorated paper web.

In detail, the tank 1, only part of which is shown, may take the form ofa U-shaped trough, as shown in section in Fig. 7 ,.which is endless orcircular in shape and which is supported by wheels 5 that ride upon acircular track comprised of the rails 6. The tank is preferably adaptedfor a rotative movement and may be driven b any suitable means and atany speed desire by suitable mechanism not necessary to show. Anappropriate liquid carrier of suitable composition well known in the artfor carrying a liquid color material in flotation upon its surfacewithout mixing therewith is contained in the tank and the level thereofmay be maintained constant by suitable means (not shown). It will beunderstood that the speed of rotation of the tank may be varied as maybe found desirable or necessary to cooperate with the other units of theapparatus. A- frame F may extend along either side of the tank forsupporting various parts of the apparatus later to be described.

As is well known in the art. various liquid color materials areobtainable which are in soluble in water or other liquid of the properchemical characteristics and which may be used as the carrier for thevarious colors to be employed. The liquid carrier is contained in thetank or trough 1 and maintained at a fixed level by suitable means (notshown). The color materials hereaftertermed merely colors are carried inflotation upon the surface of said carrier and may be so chemicallyconstituted that they will not readily mix with one another nor with theliquid carrier, but will be readily taken up by the paper to beornamented as hereinafter described.

A unitary assembly of devices herein designated as 2 is located abovethe rotating tank and, as shown, comprises color distributors in theform of one or more discs D which are rotatable about vertical axes.Shafts 8 carry the distributors D and are rotatable in bearings 10 fixedto transverse bars 11 and have bevel gears 12 fixed to their upper'endsthat mesh with bevel driving gears 13 fixed to a driving shaft 14. Thedriving shaft 14 extends transversely of the tank and is rotatablysupported at either side thereof in bearing brackets 15 secured to theframes F. A cone pulley 16, secured to the shaft 14, may be driven froma similar cone pulley 17 of a transverse driving shaft 18, located belowthe tank. The cone pulleys afford a means of. varying the speed of theshaft 14 as is desirable for rotating the distributors at various speedsfor the purpose as will presently appear. Other mechanism, however, suchas a variable speed transmission, may be employed for controlling andvarying the speed of the shaft 14 and the driving shaft 18 may receiveits power from any suitable source.

The distributors D are preferably in the form shown in Fig. 6 and, aswill be seen, comprise a disc having its periphery formed of differentportions converging to a plurality of points 21, 22, 23, etc.. which actas discharge points for the color. Each disc receives on its uppersurface a stream of color which, as shown, may be constant and uniformin its flow from a color reservoir and, as

the disc rotates, the color carried thereby is thrown outwardly from thedischarge points by centrifugal force in the form of drops that aredistributed upon the surface of the liquid carrier.

The discharge points of the distributors may be of different lengths andat various dis tances from the axis of rotation, so as to distribute thedrops of color more or less uniformly across the moving sheet of liquidbeneath the same. The size of the discharged drops of color and theirdistribution throughout the width of the liquid carrier moving beneaththe distributors may be very accurately controlled by the speed ofrotation of said discs and the size, shape and length of said dischargepoints. By length of discharge points is meant the distance thereof fromthe axis of rotation of the disc. Further factors determining the sizeof color drops discharged are, of course, the viscosity of the color andthe rate of feed thereof to the distributors. This latter may also beaccurately controlled by the means now to'be described.

Each distributor disc receives its supply of color from a supply tube 25that is inclined to have its lower delivery end located adjacent theshaft 8 or near the axis of the disc. A

color reservoir 26 supported on one of thetransverse bars 11 andadjacent its disc contains a supply of color. A rotating feed roll 27 ismounted to partially dip into the color of the reservoir and has inscraping contact therewith a scraper or blade 28 carried by the upperend of the delivery tube 25. As the roll 27 rotates in the direction ofthe arrow (see Fig. 3), the color taken up by the roll 27 is scrapedfrom the periphery of the roll by the scraper and flows down the supplypipe 25 and on to the distributor disc. A transverse driving shaft 29,preferably located above the color reservoir, is belted to the roll 27of the reservoir by means of the pulleys 30 and 31, whereby the roll maybe continuously driven at a constant predetermined speed. A cone pulley32, carried by the end of the shaft 29, is driven by means of a belt 33in engagement with a similar cone pulley 3 1 fixed to the driving shaft18, and provides means for varying and controlling the speed of the roll27 whereby a greater or less amount of color will be presented for thescraping action of'the blade 28.

An agitator or stirrer is rovided in the color reservoir comprising bades 36 for engaging the wall of the reservoir which are pivoted, asshown in Fig. 3, to levers 37 rocking loosely on the shaft of the roll27. One of said levers 37 extends upwardly as at 39 and is connected toa connecting rod 40 of the strap of an eccentric 41 fixed upon the shaft29. A cross bar 38 connects the levers 37 be low the roll 27 and isprovided with openings as shown to allow a free flow of color therethrough to eliminate resistance as the levers and bar are rocked backand forth by the cocentric. During this movement, the blades 36 bearupon the cylindrical or curved surface of the reservoir to remove thecolor therefrom and to agitate the same, whereby the color is kept mixedand in uniform consistency. There may be any number of distributors andcolor reservoirs employed and they may be arranged singly or in sets oftwo or more, their number and arrangement will depend to a large extenton the color arrangement that is required for producing the pattern ordesign desired. Color is, by the above described means, deposited on thesurface of the liquid carrier during the movement of the tank to theright (viewing Fig. 1) which eventually brings the deposited color to apoint where the surface of the liquid carrier is brought into a rollingcontact with the web of paper P carried by the drum 3.

A rake 48, having a plurality of depending prongs 49, is supported byarms 50 carried on a shaft 50 which is both pivoted and slidabletransversely in the frames F at either side of the tank. The arms 50 maybe swung up and down to position the rake either out of or in the pathof the color carried by the liquid, to rake out or elongate the colordesign when desired. Also a slight reciprocatory movement may be givento the shaft 50 by means not shown to still further vary the design tobe applied to the paper.

A fan or blower 56 may also be mounted as shown, which may be rotated bya belt pulley 57 and functions in its rotative movement to exert a lightpressure of air upon the liquid and color carried thereby to spread orfan out the color as may be desired, and according to its speed willspread the color to any desired extent.

During the travel of the tank from beneath I the distributing devices at2, where the color has been deposited upon the liquid carrier, to thecontact drum 3, the design of the deposited color will modify itselfsomewhat irregularly which may be accentuated by the fan 56 and rake 48when desired and the extent of said modification in the design islargely determined by the traveling speed of said tank 1,-in otherwords, by the length of time allowed for said colors to spread on theliquid carrier before being taken up by the paper. The color values insaid design, although irregularly distributed, will be substantiallyuniform as determined by the distributing devices at 2.

The web of paper to which the color design is to be transferred is, asshown in Fig. 1, led off from a supply roll S in the direction of thearrows, over suitable guide rolls to and partially around first theupper drum 3' and then partially around the lower contact drum 3 so asto come into contact with the surface of the liquidcarrier. Then ittravels upwardly, as shown, over guide roll 42, belt carrier 42', guideroll 43, around driving drums 44 and 45, and finally oii' to a suitabletake-up roll (not shown). An important feature of the presentimprovement is the provision of means to insure positive control of thetravel of the paper web in its contact with the surface of the movingliquid carrier. It may be desired to have the paper web travel atexactly the same speed as the surface speed of the liquid carrier withwhich it comes into contact, i. e., a perfect rolling contact, or it maybe desired to have the paper travel at a slightly greater or slightlyless speed than the moving liquid carrier to cause certain distortionaleffects of the design when taken up. For this purpose, the shaft ()1 ofthe contact drum 3 is mounted in adjustable bearings, indicated at 60,so that it may be adjusted to bring the paper web into proper registerwith the surface of the liquid carrier. The shaft 61 of said contactdrum 3 is posi tively driven by means such as shown in Fig. 8 so thatits speed of rotation may be adjusted. The devices for effecting thischange of rotative speed of said shaft 61 are of well known characterconsisting of adjustable cone pulleys 62, belt 63 driven from source ofpower as at 64. Mounted above the contact drum 3 is the idler drum 3'which bears under its own weight upon the drum 3 having its shaft 65mounted in a vertically guided bearing 66 for this purpose. The paperweb P being carried partially around said idler drum 3 and between themp of said drum upon the lower contact drum 3 and then partially aroundthe latter, as shown, is very firmly ripped for positlvely controlledtravel with said drums 3' and 3 irrespective of any variation in tensionupon said aper web due to the take-up roll or the let-o roll S. In thisway, the travel of the web P in contact with the surface of the liquidcarrier is definitely determined by the pcripheral speed of said contactdrum -A blower 46, in the form of a pipe, 1s located above the roll 3and has a delivery nozzle in a side thereof. The blower is disposed soas to have its delivery nozzle port closely adjacent but not in contactwith the paper web carrying the design and 1s arranged to deliver an airblast to the ornamented surface of the web. The air may be of anydesired temperature and acts as a barrier to the upward travel of anyliquid, in addition to the color, which may adhere to the web and alsohelps to dry out the web preparatory to its being received by the drierdrums. The blower nozzle, not being in contact with the web, will notdisturb the color design deposited thereon but only tends to drive backsurplus liquid or moisture. Above the blower and contacting with theunornamented side of the web is preferably mounted a guide 47 whichtends to keep the web in flattened condition as it is led to the roll42.

In the event that all the coloring carried by the liquid is not taken upby the web of papei', and in order to scavenge the liquid of any suchsurplus color preparatory to the redeposit of color thereon during thecontinued rotation of the tank, I provide the following means. A windingshaft 500 located at the right of the roll 3 is rotatably mounted abovethe tank and is actuated preferably in a step by step movement by meansof a ratchet Wheel 59 and a ratchet 52 carried on a lever 53. The lever53 is oscillated by means of a rod 54 connected to an eccentric (notshown) or by other operating means carried by the shaft of the roll 3. Alet off drum 55 extending transversely across the tank and locatedthereabove, is adapted to supply a web of paper for being wound up bythe shaft 500. The roll of paper wound on shaft 500 is of such width asto extend entirely across the tank and the paper employed preferably hassuch characteristics as will render it capable of readily absorbing anysurplus color that may be carried by the liquid and that is not taken upby the web P.

It will be observed that various units may be operated at various speedsthat are variable independently of one another whereby the apparatus isadapted for unlimited adjustment to thereby roduoe designs of numerousforms and tliat b a proper tabulation of the relative spee s-o variousunits and suitable data as to-the 'uantity and color of the designcreating ma erialsfit is possible to again reproduce any design that hasbeen previously produced.

Also, since the speed'of the units is independently variable, it istherefore possible to control to a nicety the operation of theapparatus, whereby a continuously moving web of paper may be ornamentedwith consecutive designs that are similar only in general appearancewhile in detail the designs are not duplicated in exactness to such anextent as to impair the effect of their general similarity.

Many changes may be made in the apparatus shown to adapt it for otheruses without departing from the invention, and we therefore prefer notto be limited by the foregoing disclosure, but rather by the followingwherein I claim:

1. A device for distributing color upon a surface, comprising a rotatingdisc mounted substantially parallel with said surface, a color supplyand means for feeding color therefrom to said disk within its peripheryso that said color will be discharged from said disc upon said surfaceby centrifugal force.

2. A device for distributing color upon a surface, comprising a rotatingdisc mounted substantially parallel with said surface and havingperipheral discharge points at different distances from its axis, acolor supply and means for feedin color therefrom to said disc withinits perip ery so that said color will be discharged upon said surface bycentrifugal force.

3. A device for distributing color upon a surface, comprising a rotatingdisc having its periphery formed of portions with sides converging topoints at various distances from the axis of said disc a color supplyand means for feeding color therefrom to said disc within its peripheryso that said color will be discharged upon said surface from said pointsby centrifugal force.

4. The combination with a device for distributing color upon a surface,comprising a rotating disc, of means for supplying color to said disc ina regulatable quantity comprising a feed roll dipping in a supply ofcolor and a scraper bearing upon said roll and girecting the colortherefrom and onto said 5. The combination with a device fordistributing color to a surface comprising a rotating disc, of means forfeeding color to said disc, comprising a color reservoir and a feed rolldipping in said reservoir, an agitator to stir the color in saidreservoir and a scraper bearin upon said feed roll and directing thecolor therefrom to said distributing disc.

6. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which atraveling body of liquid is employed in a continuous cycle for carryingcolor deposited upon its surface, the combination thereof, with meansfor effecting a. rolling contact between said web of material and thesurface of said liquid whereby said web will take up some of the colorthcrcfrom, and means acting subsequently thereto for removing theremainder of the color from said liquid comprising a roll of colorabsorbing material rotating in contact with the surface of said liquid.

7. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which atraveling body of liquid is employed in a continuous cycle forcarryingcolor deposited upon its surface, the combination thereof withmeans for effecting a rolling contact between said web of mate rial andthe surface of said liquid. whereby said web will take up some of thecolor therefrom, and means acting subsequently thereto for removing theremainder of the color from said liquid comprising a winding roll ofcolor absorbing material rotating in contact with the surface of saidliquid, and a let off roll of color absorbing material for supplyingsaid winding roll.

8. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material v in which atraveling body of liquid is employed for carrying color depositedthereon, the combination thereof, with a device for distributing colorupon the surface of said liquid comprising a rotating disc mountedsubstantially parallel with said surface whereby color fed to said discwithin its periphery will be discharged upon said surface by centrifugalforce, and means .for effecting a rolling contact between said web ofmaterial and said color carrying surface for taking up color thcrefrmn.

9. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which atraveling body of liquid is employed for carrying color depositedthereon, the combination thereof, with a device for distributing colorupon the surface of said liquid disc mounted subrtanti ally parallelwith said surface whereby color fed to said disc within its peripherywill be discharged upon said surface by centrifugal force, a colorreservoir, a feed roll dipping in said color reservoir, a scraperbearing on said roll and directing color therefrom to said disc, andmeans for effecting a rolling contact between said web of material andsaid color carrying surface for taking up color therefrom.

'10. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of: materiaL in which atraveling body of liquid is employed for carrying color depositedthereon, the combination thereof,

with a device for distrlbuting color upon the surface of said liquidcomprising a rotatmg disc mounted substantially parallel wth saldsurface whereby color fed to said disc within comprising a rotating itsperiphery will be discharged upon said sur face by centrifugal force, acolor reservoir, a feed roll dipping in said color reservoir, a scraperbearing on said roll and directing color therefrom to said disc, meansfor varying the speed of rotation of said disc, means for varying thespeed of rotation of said feed roll and means for ell'ecting a rollincontact between said web of material an said color carrying surface fortaking up color therefrom.

1.1. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which atraveling body of liquid is employed in a continuous cycle for carrylngcolor deposited upon its surface, the combination thereof, with a devicefor distributing color upon said liquid surface com prising a rotatingdisc having peripheral discharge points at various distances from itsaxis, means for feeding color in a controllable quantity to said discwithin its periphery whereby said color will be discharged from the discupon said liquid surface by centrifugal force, means for effecting arollmg contact between said web and the color carrying surface of saidliquid whereby some of the color will be taken up by said web, and meansfor removing the remaining color from said liquid surface prior to itsreceiving further color from said distributing disc.

12. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which atraveling body of liquid is employed in a continuous cycle for carryingcolor deposited upon its surface, the combination thereof, with a devicefor distributing color upon said liquid surface comprlsing a rotatingdisc having peripheral discharge points at various distances from itsaxis, means for feeding color in a controllable quantity to said discwithin its periphery whereby said color will be discharged from the discupon said liquid surface by centrifugal force, means for effectsaid webas it leaves said liquid surface, said nozzle being closely adjacent'tobut not in contact with said web.

13. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which atraveling body of liquid is employed for carrying color deposited uponits surface, means for causing said web to take up color from thesurface of said liquid carrier comprising a pair of drums rotating inperipheral contact under pres sure, one of said drums having itsperiphery closely adjacent the surface of said liquid carrier, thecourse of said web being partially around each drum and between the nipof the same whereby said web will be positively 19. In an apparatus forornamenting a web carried into and out of contact wit the surof materialin which the color is supplied to face of said liquid carrier for thepurpose described.

14. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material 1n which atraveling body of liquid is employed for carrying color deposited uponits surface, means for causing said web to take up color from thesurface of said liquid carrier comprising a pair of drums rotating inperipheral contact under pressure, one of said drums being ad ustablymounted to have its periphery closely adja-' cent the surface of saidliquid carrier, the course of said web being partially around each drumand between the nip of the same whereby said web will be positivelycarried into and out of contact with the surface of said liquid carrierfor the purpose described.

15. In an apparatus for oruamenting a web of material in which atraveling body of liquid is employed for carrying color deposited uponits surface, means for causing said web to take up color from thesurface of said liquid carrier comprising a pair of drums rotating inperipheral contact under pressure, driving means for said drums arrangedto adjust the speed thereof, one of said drums having its peripheryclosely adjacent the surface of said liquid carrier, the course of saidweb being partially around each drum and between the nip of the samewhereby said web will be positively carried into and out of contact withthe surface of said liquid carrier for the purpose described.

16. A device for distributing color upon a surface, comprising arotating, irregularly star-shaped disk and means for feeding color tosaid disk within its periphery.

17. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which the coloris supplied to the web by tangential contact with a body of carrierliquid, the combination thereof with a device for distributing colorupon the surface of the carrier liquid comprising a supply fordelivering a stream of color, and means for subdividing the stream intoparticles and projecting said particles along trajectories radiatinginitially in a plane parallel to and spaced from the surface of thecarrier liquid.

18. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which the coloris supplied to the web by tangential contact with the surface of a bodyof carrier liquid, the combination thereof with a device fordistributing color upon the surface of the carrier liquid comprising asupply for delivering a stream of color, and a color carrying devicehaving a plurality of localized color discharge areas, each localizedarea being constrained for motion in a predetermined path at apredetermined speed to discharge color therefrom by centrifugal forceand thereby to subdivide the color into drops under definite andrepeatable conditions.

the web by tangential contact with a. body of carrier liquid, thecombination thereof with a device for distributing color upon thesurface of the carrier liquid comprising a supply for delivering astream of color, and a color carrying device having a pluralit oflocalized color discharge areas, eac localized area being constrainedfor motion in a predetermined path at a redetermined speed to dischargecolor t erefrom by centrifugal force and thereby to subdivide the colorinto drops under definite and repeatable conditions, and projecting saidparticles along trajectories radiating initially in a plane arallel toand spaced from the surface of t e carrier liquid.

20. In an apparatus for ornamenting a web of material in which the coloris sup lied to the web by tangential contact with a ody of carrier liuid, the combination thereof with a plurality of su plies eachdelivering a stream of a particu ar color, and a .color carrying deviceassociated with each of said supplies for receiving color therefrom,each device having a plurality of localized color discharge areas, eachlocalized area being constrained for motion in a predetermined path at apredetermined speed to discharge color therefrom by centrifugal forceand thereby to subdivide the color into drops under definite andrepeatable conditions.

In testimony whereof we have afixed our signatures FRANCIS C. HEYWOOD.GEORGE E. SENSENEY. RUSSELL S. BRAGEWELL.

